and Mr. Toad is released. The film features the voices of Bing Crosby, who narrates Washington

Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", and Basil Rathbone, who narrates Kenneth Grahame's tale "The

Wind in the Willows." "The Wind in the Willows" will inspire the Mr. Toad's Wild Ride theme park attraction,

first at Disneyland and then at Walt Disney World. (Although WDW's version will later close.)

2004:

Disney's Aladdin Special Edition DVD is released.

The New York City Disney Store (located at 711 5th Ave) is

rechristened The World of Disney with a special grand opening

celebration. Actress Christy Carlson Romano (from Disney's Kim

Possible, Even Stevens, and formerly Belle of Broadway's Beauty

and the Beast) is on hand to meet customers and sign autographs.

1922:

The Laugh-O-Gram animated short Goldie Locks and the Three Bears, directed & co-animated by Walt Disney, is released.

1923:

Actress Glynis Johns is born in Pretoria, South Africa. She is best known to Disney fans as

Winifred Banks in the 1964 film Mary Poppins and Princess Mary Tudor in the 1953 The Sword and the Rose.

(Known for her light comedy roles and often playful flirtation, Johns appeared in such feature films as While You

Were Sleeping and Around the World in Eighty Days, and on such TV series as Batman and The Love Boat.)

1935:

Disney's Silly Symphony cartoon Music Land is released.

1950:

Actor Jeff Conaway, who appeared in Disney's 1977 Pete's Dragon as Willie, is born in New York City. (Fans will remember him for his roles of Bobby Wheeler on TV's Taxi and Kenickie in the hit feature film Grease.)

1955:

In Anaheim, California, the Disneyland Hotel opens (opposite the main exit of

Disneyland). Although a 104-room hotel, just seven rooms are ready for the public; an eighth serves as the

hotel’s office and lobby. The first hotel guests are Mr. and Mrs. Robert Arnone of Inglewood. Owned by the

Wrather Corporation, the Disneyland Hotel will be fully functioning by August 1956.

The third episode of Mickey Mouse Club airs on ABC-TV. Today is

Anything Can Happen Day. Jimmie Dodd leads the Mouseketeers in forming a

gadget band, using bottles, combs, wash tubs and other discarded junk for playing music.

The cartoon Mickey's Service Station is also shown.

The television series Disneyland airs a compilation of many of the

"People and Places" movie shorts that had previously been shown in theaters.

1975:

Actress Parminder Nagra, who appears as the flight director in Epcot's Mission:SPACE, is born in Leicester, England. (You may recognize her from the feature film Bend It Like Beckham and the TV series ER.)

1982:

EPCOT Center's World of Motion, a whimsical look at the development of

transportation from the human foot to a bustling futuristic city, is officially

dedicated (although it has been up and running since the park's grand debut on

October 1). It is sponsored by General Motors - the very first company to sign with Disney to sponsor an EPCOT

pavilion. Visitors board moving Omnimover vehicles and are taken through scenes filled with Audio-Animatronic

figures and projection effects. Upon completion of the ride, guests enter the TransCenter featuring educational

attractions which include prototype cars such as the Lean Machine in the Dreamer's Workshop and a

film called The Water Engine. (Closing in 1996, World of Motion will be replaced with Test Track.)

1992:

The Walt Disney Story (an attraction on Walt Disney World's Main Street USA) is shown for the last time when the Main Street Cinema closes. (The cinema will be refurbished and reopened as a merchandise location in 1998.)

Actress and singer Heather Headley is born in Trinidad, West Indies. In 1997 she played Nala in The Lion King, Disney's second hit Broadway musical. Headley later originated the title role in

the Broadway adaptation of Disney's Aida, earning a Tony Award for Best Actress in 2000!

1941:

The Fight For Freedom Committee's stage play, It's Fun To Be Free, debuts in New

York City at Madison Square Garden. The cover art for the show's program - which features a patriotic illustration of Mickey, Goofy, and Donald - has been designed by Disney artist Hank Porter. (The national Fight for Freedom Committee, formed in New York City in April, 1941, favors the immediate entry of the United States into

World War II to aid in the defeat of Nazi Germany.)

1902:

Entrepreneur Ray Kroc, famous for significantly expanding the McDonald's Corporation, is born in Oak Park, Illinois (just about 10 miles from the birthplace of Walt Disney). In 1996, McDonalds signed a ten year global marketing agreement with the Walt Disney

Company to promote and help each other. Coincidentally, Ray Kroc and Walt Disney first met in an Army

camp in Connecticut in 1918!

1829:

Chester A. Arthur, the twenty-first United States President, is born in

Fairfield, Vermont. The first president to take the Oath of Office in his own home, Arthur

did not deliver an Inaugural Address! Visit him and all the U.S. Chief Executives at Disney

World's The Hall of Presidents.

"Don't try to figure out a plan. You can't reason with a headless man."

2005:

The Tomorrowland game area of Disney's Virtual Magic Kingdom is made

available to players for the first time. The rest of Tomorrowland will "open"

in April 2006. (VMK is a multiplayer online game run by Disney.)

1997:

The Wonderful World of Disney airs "Toothless" starring Kirstie Alley.

Disney's Hollywood Pictures releases the drama Washington Square in New York

City. The film stars Albert Finney as a New York City doctor and resident of a large house on Washington